Welcome to Top Ten Tuesdays! This series focuses on different top tens relevant to the world of college. Each week a different intern shares their top ten list. Additionally, look out on social media for video vlogs that may go along with the list. This week Patrick Smart, admissions intern and sophomore class president, writes of his top ten songs that remind him of Notre Dame.
Top 10 Songs that Remind Me of Notre Dame
10. Nothing New- Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers.
This song might not be one you would expect to find on a Notre Dame song list, however in regards to my experience at Notre Dame this song means everything to me. During a fall rain at Notre Dame last year, I was walking from North Dining Hall back to my dorm, when I heard this song playing from the windows of Zahm Hall (which was occupied by Sorin that year). I am a pretty big Taylor Swift fan and hearing this more niche song from her rerecordings of Red gave me just the amount of peace that I needed after the hustle and bustle of my first midterm season at college.
9. September- Earth, Wind, Fire
On Mondays and Wednesdays, I rush from my class that ends at 1:45 right to North Dining Hall to eat and get some homework done. North Dining hall always plays Sirus XM’s 70s channel which has an incredible ability to put anyone at peace while they get some busy work done for the week.
8. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
I would say that during the Christmas Season Notre Dame is one of the best places to be in the world. Beautifully decorated for the Holidays, our South Bend home glows with lights on trees and smiles on faces. This song reminds me of decorating my hallway last year for Christmas with an exorbitant amount of wrapping paper and lights. You can also hear this song at every SYR dance during fall semester (yes… even in September). Notre Dame LOVES Mariah Carey.
7. Main Title - Jerry Goldsmith
Whenever I am having a tough day, the Main Title from the movie Rudy reminds me to take a deep breath and reflect on all that I am grateful for. Rudy’s story encourages us to work our hardest towards our dreams and not take no for an answer. No song better captures the spirit, hope, and optimism of a Notre Dame student than this.
6. The Spins - Mac Miller
No other song can get sophomores in the Class of 2025 more excited than The Spins by Mac Miller. This song is played on repeat at dances and tailgates before Game Day. It makes us reflect on how beautiful it is to be young and in college, especially in such an incredible place like Notre Dame. I love playing this song at Class of 2025 events because everyone gets so excited for it and knows every word!
5. Ireland- Nathan Carter
Nathan Carter’s Ireland reminds me quite distinctly of two of my favorite Notre Dame experiences. First was the eight weeks I spent in Dublin this past summer through the Irish Internship Program. This incredible experience, fully funded by Notre Dame, showed me how much Notre Dame invests in its relationship with Ireland and how deep the connection between our school and the Irish people runs. It also reminds me of my section in Fisher Hall (Fisher 4A) which plays this song on repeat.
4. The Notre Dame Fight Song
Notre Dame’s fight song—the best fight song in college football (totally unbiased)—the Notre Dame Victory March, played by our iconic and unparalleled Notre Dame band, always reminds me that we are the FIGHTING Irish. Notre Dame students don’t sit back and relax while world issues are at hand. We stand up and go out to fix them. Always a force for good, always the Fighting Irish.
3. Mr Brightside
Although this song is often associated with the experiences of many current college students, I don’t think there is any school that plays Mr. Brightside more than Notre Dame does. Every formal dance, informal SYR dance, or dorm event you attend—you more often than not will be greeted by this amazing song of the Killers.
2. I’m Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphy
No other song I believe captures the Notre Dame spirit more than Shipping Up To Boston. The iconic first two notes are instantaneously recognizable and can remind anyone of a South Bend game day regardless of where you are in the world. It’s the song you hear right before the football team runs out of the tunnel, the song upperclassmen wake you up to on your first game day, and the song that plays on repeat during game day festivities. The song’s genre is “celtic punk” and if that doesn’t sum up what it means to be a Notre Dame student, I don’t know what does.
1. Notre Dame, Our Mother: Alma Mater
My favorite part of every Notre Dame gameday experience only comes at the day's conclusion. As this song plays, the football team and the whole student body link arms to sing our school’s incredible Alma Mater. Regardless of whether we win or lose, regardless of how difficult the school week was, we all embrace each other to remind ourselves how proud we are to be Notre Dame students at this incredible university. This is always my favorite part of any gameday and continues to give me chills just thinking about it.
Originally published by at admissions.nd.edu on November 22, 2022.